Members of Viral Nation alongside global influencers filming video content at YouTube Space Dubai, November 2018.
Influencer marketing is like a chameleon. It’s an unpredictable, ever-changing, always surprising industry. It’s the stage that any brand or public figure wants to be on right now. Anyone who has skin in the game wants to have his or her say as an influencer, or to let their voice be heard through the help of influencers. This fascinating world is changing at the speed of light, and while some marketers are running around to chase predictions, others are shaping the game of the future.
2019 will be the year of influencer marketing. If you think you’ve seen it all, the trends, campaigns and influencers of this coming year will make you think again. With the help of technology and the transformation of a society that is focusing more and more on the individual, customer experience will become personal experience and entertainment will dramatically shift towards authenticity. Let’s take a look at a few trends, so you can get the idea.
It’s all about data (and data privacy)
We have reached a point where companies can gather nearly all the data they need to know you better and fully understand what makes you click. Fed with all this information, brands will know what consumers and fans want to hear and see, and looking at one influencer’s Instagram profile will feel like talking to your best friend—you’ll feel heard, happy and understood. Because friends are those who know all about us. However, the business of big data has brought big concerns, too. So now consumers are getting more protective of their information, and brands are becoming aware of it.
Less is more
In an effort to bring themselves closer and closer to their audience, brands will make a big push toward medium-influencers. The influencer marketing industry is not just a place for players with massive followings. Influencers with a range of followers from 50,000 to 250,000 will generate more engagement than their colleagues with a larger audience. Additionally, a medium-influencer will benefit not just your engagement numbers, but your ROI too. The key to succeed with medium-influencers? Focus on content.
Video content will prevail
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Followers want to get as close as possible to their favorite influencers. They want to see action and experience the real life of the influencers they admire. 2019 will see an increase in video content—social commercials, live updates, raw videos. As influencer marketers, Viral Nation knows that well, and we strive to position influencer video content to drive results. The age of advertisement in a picture doesn’t work with the dwindling attention span of consumers. The average person does not take the time to read the description and learn about the offering – they need to watch it!
Gen Z will play a big role
As millennials grow older, start their own families and switch priorities, Gen Z is slowly taking over as the leading generation in social. There are a few traits that will make this transition happen faster. Those born between 1995 and 2009 are more global, more focused on individuality, better at multitasking and have higher expectations than their older brothers and sisters. All these traits will make for highly successful influencers and highly committed followers.
New trends, new challenges and new players. So many new changes will transpire in the influencer marketing industry in 2019. Many industries seem to come to a stall after a roaring time of innovation, success and change. But influencer marketing is a chameleon, a change maker, a disruptor. So many new things are in the pipeline, and many others haven’t even been thought of yet. That’s why we’re not done at all. We’ve just begun.
